Welcome to “Groundhog Day,” Austin. (Article by Tara Trower, republished from http://viewpoints.blog.statesman.com/2016/02/02/ann-kitchen-recall-petition-bodes-ill-for-austin/) If the petition being circulated to oust Council Member Ann Kitchen has the required 4,811 signatures, Austin politics will likely become its own version of the cult classic movie. You know, where the character by Bill Murray lives the same day over and over […]

“Wrong.” “Absolute horror.” “Ridiculous.” (Article by Andra Lim, republished from http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/austin-council-considering-changes-to-oft-bemoaned/nqJR4/?icmp=statesman_internallink_referralbox_free-to-premium-referral) Those are some of the choice words City Hall observers used this week when describing the Austin City Council’s almost 1-year-old committee system, in which 10 committees mostly composed of four members have grappled with issues large and small, controversial and mundane, with and without […]

AUSTIN, Texas — Former Gov. Rick Perry, who twice ran unsuccessfully for president, is endorsing fellow Texan Ted Cruz’s White House bid. (Article by Statesman.com, republished from http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/texas/former-texas-gov-perry-endorses-ted-cruzs-white-ho/nqBxW/) Perry was the longest-serving governor in Texas history. He left office last January under felony indictment for abuse of power related to threatening a veto of state funding […]